Moving Feet
by a-girl-with-a-writers-mind
Summary: Natsu Dragneel- twenty-three, big brother, and a member of Magnolia's Fight Club. Lucy Heartfilia- twenty-one, great friend, and a member of Fairy Hill's Dance Group. They share a mutual friend and, through him, end up meeting at Fairy Tail Gym. From there, a friendship blossoms between them, but it quickly turns into something more.
1. Chapter 1

Lucy strolled down the sidewalk early Saturday morning, enjoying the pale sunrays and the sounds of the town of Magnolia at rest. The streets were quiet, save for a few cars that drove by and the hearty joggers that passed her on their routes. Lucy hummed to herself, the blue water bottle that hung from her wrist swinging with every step she took. The soft breeze tickled her exposed stomach and lifted the ends of her long blonde hair. She walked on, past the little closed shops with colorful signs and shuttered windows, and the open park with it's beautiful flower trees and well-kept grass. Past the rows upon rows of houses, all the same design, all different colours. As she strolled towards the center of town, the buildings became bigger, and the cottages turned into apartment complexes. Here, the town was more alive; the sidewalks became filled with people, either on their way to their weekend jobs, or just out on a walk. Businesses were opening their doors, and all around, people were pulling back the curtains to their apartment windows. The chatter of the people and the whirring of the cars that zoomed down the streets filled the air, turning the quiet into liveliness.

"Morning, Miss Lucy!" Came a shouted greeting. Lucy turned, looking for the origin of the call, though she already knew who it was; there, two fishermen, old enough to be her uncles, were standing by the side entrance of a restaurant, smiling at her. Judging by large the crates at their feet, they were no doubt making a delivery.

Lucy smiled. "Morning, guys!" She responded, raising her arm and waving to them from across the street. They were such sweeties, always greeting her every day like she was their own niece.

Lucy continued on with a skip in her step, her messy ponytail bouncing. Soon enough, she had reached her destination; Fairy Tail Gym. It was rather sizable building, though not much bigger than an average school gymnasium, covering a good portion of the area that it was built on. The whole front of the building was made up of large glass panels, and the door, also made of glass, sported the gym's logo, in black.

The blonde pushed the door open, and her sneakers made a small noise on the waxed floor as she stepped inside. The lady at the front counter looked up from her papers, her snow-white hair falling around her shoulders. A bright smile lit up her face as she recognized her, her brilliant blue eyes twinkling. "Ah, Lucy! Good morning, dear," she welcomed her warmly. "How are you doing?"

Lucy couldn't help but smile at her cheeriness. "Hey, Mira! I'm actually pretty pumped up today, thanks for asking," she replied. "My instructor at hip-hop just announced a new dance routine for an upcoming competition, and I want get it down perfectly. It's really difficult, so I decided that some extra time at the gym might help a bit."

Mira clasped her hands together, and clicked her tongue in surprise. "Oooh, that's exciting!" She exclaimed. "And I get it where you're coming from- me and the girls all come to the gym whenever we want to tone up or get a little extra exercise in."

"Speaking of which," Lucy started, crossing her arms and leaning against the counter. "How's your ballet class doing?" Mira was the coach of an all-girls ballet class, and she sometimes brought some of her students to the gym while she worked at the front counter.

If possible, Mira perked up further. "They are doing great- amazing, in fact! For a bunch of middle-schoolers, they're pretty impressive, if I do say so myself," she gushed. "There is this one girl in particular who is really good- Wendy Marvell, a seventh-grader. She moves like the wind, I tell you, and she gets new moves down before the other students even memorized the steps. And plus, she's the cutest little thing ever."

Lucy chuckled at the adoring look on the older woman's face as she talked about her students. "Well, that's always good to hear," she conceded. "I'd love to come see them one day at class- all your talking is making me anxious to see them dance."

Though she really shouldn't be able to, Mira brightened another notch. "That's a wonderful idea!" She exclaimed, nodding vigorously as a arrangements were doubtlessly forming in her mind. "Maybe next Friday? Oh, and we have that make-up practice on Wednesday, maybe we could schedule it then…"

Lucy laughed outright at her friend's eagerness. "Whenever you can find time, I'll come," she reassured her. "And, speaking of time, I should probably get started with my exercise."

Mira smiled sheepishly. "Sorry for holding you up, Lucy," she apologized. "I tend to get carried away."

"It's alright, Mira," Lucy told her, pushing off from the counter and walking to the main area. "See you later!" She called over her shoulder, lifting her hand in a wave. Mirajane waved back, smiling as always.

Lucy ambled into the exercise area, and stood at the front of the huge room. A few people occupied the area already- on rather chubby man was sweating away on one of the treadmills to her right, a bright sweatband holding his dark hair out of the way, and at her left, a little farther down the room, a purple- haired lady was lifting weights. Lucy surveyed the various equipment that was available to her, hands on her hips, the gold rings on her fingers glinting against the dark colour of her leggings. The gym was filled with all kinds of exercise machines; sand-filled punching bags were hung up in the far left corner, the weights took up a hefty section of the left side of the room, treadmills lined the back half of the right wall, and all sorts of machines were scattered around the center of the room, from leg devices to ridiculously complicated-looking arm-strengthening equipment.

Lucy's chocolate eyes trailed each machine, before stopping on a rack of dumbbells near the center of the room. She dropped her hand from her hips and started towards it, slipping the strap of her water bottle off her wrist to hold it in her hand. When she reached the metal rack, she set the blue bottle on the floor, and began stretching herself. She linked her fingers and pushed her arms out straight, hearing the satisfactory pops as her arms stretched. Lucy lowered them, and brought her knees up, one at a time, the stretchy black material of her work-out leggings clinging to her tightly, but allowing her to move with ease.

Muscles properly stretched, Lucy began her workout, reaching for two of the heavier dumbbells. She began pumping her arms up and down, up and down, regulating her breathing.

A half hour later, Lucy dropped to dumbbells back onto their place on the rack, her arms feeling the burn of her relentless exercising. She placed her hand on her hips and tilted her head back, sucking in air as she rested. She closed her eyes, letting the ceiling fans cool her down with the breeze their spinning blades generated. After a moment, she bent down and grabbed her water bottle, unscrewing the lid and bringing it to her mouth. She tipped it back, and the water, still cold though the ice-cubes had long since melted, filled her mouth. She gulped it down, revelling in the coolness of the liquid. In her haste, a drop of water escaped her lips and trickled down her chin. Lucy wiped it away, and resealed her bottle.

Though she was a little sore, Lucy was far from done. She picked out her next machine- the treadmill. Leg strength and stamina were essential in the type of dance she did, so she figured that it was important that she build as them up. Her legs were pretty strong, there was no doubt about it, and her stamina wasn't too bad either, but a little more practice never hurt.

Lucy had just made it to the treadmills when the little chime on the gym door rang once again, indicating that yet another person was coming to work out. Ever since she had got there, the gym had been slowly filling up with people. Lucy recognized all of them- they were all long-time members of Fairy Tail Gym, so she had all met them once or twice in the year that she had been coming here. So when she glanced at the door out of habit and saw someone she had never seen before, it was no surprise that she did a double take.

Lucy peered at the newcomer; he was talking with Mira at the counter, and if the fact that she was nodding and writing down something on a sheet of paper was any indication, she was probably setting him up for a membership.

As much as his arrival surprised her, she was even more so startled by his odd appearance. He was tall; that she could tell, just by how much he towered over Mira. The man was shirtless, but that wasn't strange- almost everyone in Fairy Tail, women included, had exercised without a shirt on, and not to mention that Gray Fullbuster, a long time member of Fairy Tail, practically walked around naked.

No, there were two things that surprised her. One being that, instead of a head of, let's say, blonde, brown, or black hair, this fellow sported hair the colour of cherry blossoms. The pink locks were spiky and unruly, falling into his eyes and sticking out as if he had just rolled out of bed.

The second was that an odd lump of dark red cloth was stuffed into the right pocket of his dark gray sweatpants. It looked stiff, yet kind of worn and loose at the same time. It didn't look like a towel, but it definitely wasn't a water bottle either.

"What'cha looking at, Lucy?" A voice asked her, coming from her right. Lucy ripped on her gaze from the stranger, brown orbs landing on the chubby guy from earlier. He was peering at her curiously, the treadmill he was resting against currently off. The hair that escaped from his green headband was sticking flat against his forehead with sweat, and an near-empty water bottle was in his hand.

Lucy smiled at him. "Hey, Droy," she acknowledged. "Nothing much, just that guy over there." She tilted her chin in the man's direction, and Droy followed her line of sight.

Droy squinted at the man at the counter, then his featured relaxed with recognition. "Oh, that guy! I saw him last night- Gray brought him in." He informed her, twisting the cap of his bottle closed.

Lucy raised her eyebrow slightly. "Gray did?" She inquired, a tad skeptical.

Droy nodded. "Yeah. I overheard him talking to Mira about it yesterday- he's a friend of Gray's, apparently."

As if on cue, Gray walked through the glass doors, eyes instantly drawing to the pink haired man. A grin breaking across his face, Gray trotted over to him, greeting Mira warmly before he turned to the stranger. The men clasped hands, bringing each other into a half hug and clapping each other on their bare backs. Warm words and smile were exchanged, and it was clear that they were close.

Gray stayed with the stranger as he wrapped up his business with Mira, bouncing on the balls of his feet impatiently. Lucy couldn't possibly fathom just why he was so eager to work out, but then again, almost all the men at Fairy Tail were exercise freaks.

The second they finished at the front counter, they were off, jogging through the various machines and weaving around people. Lucy's big eyes followed them as they made their way to the back of the large room, and she tilted her head curiously as they neared the area where the punching bags were kept.

The punching bags had their own secluded corner of the big room because of the hazards that came with them. Lucy hadn't yet joined Fairy Tail, but she had heard the story involving the bags and the famed Laxus Dreyar. Apparently, Laxus was working out with the punching bags one day, when a rather surprising accident occurred. Laxus had thrown a particularly hard punch, and, being the hulking beast he was, he had sent the bag swinging, and poor Levy McGarden, who was walking by, was hit squarely with it and sent flying. The unfortunate girl landed hard and nearly got a concussion. After that, Fairy Tail's owner, Mr. Makarov Dreyar had the punching bag area moved in the back, where less people were walking around. Mira had told her, giggling, about how Laxus grumbled about the stern chastising he had gotten from his grandfather. Laxus was really the only one who used them, and they hung there, still and unused whenever he wasn't around.

So it was rather odd to see Gray and his companion kick of their shoes and peel off their socks and step onto the mats of the punching bag area. Gray took out something that Lucy hadn't realized was stuffed in the pocket on his sweatpants, and unfolded it. His friend pulled the strange red cloths, and they rolled open. Lucy squinted at the cloth, but as the stranger began wrapping one around his hands, she realized that they were fighting hand wraps. Though they weren't the traditional beige colour, there was no doubt as he expertly wrapped them around his hands, efficiently following a pattern unknown to her. Lucy was surprised to see Gray doing the same- she didn't know his was into proper fighting, as he had not mentioned it in year that she had known him. But then again, he was the type to get into brawls, as he had made clear on the multiple occasions that he and other members of Fairy Tail got into wrestling matches.

After they secured their gloves, the boys went to the bag-less part of the area, spacing themselves out readying themselves. The stranger smirked, teeth gleaming, and rolled his shoulders. Muscle rippled under the tan skin and his biceps twitched in anticipation, drawing Lucy's attention to just how incredibly fit the newcomer was. Sure, majority of the Fairy Tail men were fairly fit- but this new person practically oozed athleticism and an aura of health surrounded him. And Lucy could sense that from a good thirty-five feet away.

Suddenly, both men darted forward, arms raised in front of them in defense. Lucy blinked at the sudden speed, but before she could properly react, they were fighting in a whirlwind of motion. The stranger aimed a punch at Gray's stomach, but he deflected it and retaliated with a hit to his shoulder. The pink-haired man swerved out of its path, and used his momentum to ram his other shoulder into Gray's chest. Gray brushed of the hit and went to the offense, driving an elbow into the stranger's ribs.

On and on the pair went, and Lucy found herself watching their fight in rapt fascination. She vaguely noticed that Droy had turned away some time ago after giving up on regaining her stolen attention, but didn't pay it any heed, too wrapped up in staring at the sparring men to care.

Randomly through their fight, the newcomer glanced away, and his vivid green eyes caught hers. He locked his gaze with her's and smiled, his lips curving over his teeth in a brilliant grin, before he ducked, dodging a hit from Gray.

Lucy was jolted out of her little trance, startled by the odd timing and sincerity of the stranger's smile. She turned away from the sparring pair, trying to hide the little blush that bloomed on her cheeks as she focused on the treadmill she had forgotten about. Droy, already running on his treadmill for a while now, sent her a questioning glance. Lucy just shrugged and gave him an apologetic smile, and thankfully he didn't pry further, too busy keeping up with the conveyer belt as it made its endless rotations.

Lucy stepped onto the treadmill, placing her water bottle in the little cup holder as she turned on the machine. She picked up the headphones attached to the small screen and scrolled through the available channels, selecting a cooking show that looked promising. She placed the headphones over her ears and pressed play, starting the machine. The black conveyer belt began to turn slowly, but it gradually picked up speed until she was jogging at a fast pace. With the voice of the chef and the measured thudding of her feet keeping her company, Lucy fell into a comfortable rhythm.

Lucy watched the little screen intently, worry and anticipation crunching her brow at the hectic scene that was playing. Cooks ran around left and right, trying to fix the disaster they had created, sweat running off the brow of the cook who was currently holding a pot whose contents had caught fire. The yelling voices and clanging of various supplies streamed out of the headphones, shouted orders and desperate footsteps filling her ears. Besides the flaming food, other disasters befell the poor cooks- one person carrying a cake tripped over a whisk on the floor and the cake went flying, sailing through the air before splattering onto another cook. On one of the counters sat a hardened bowl of overly bitter chocolate, and at the opposite wall, a cook was throwing over-steamed vegetables into a trashcan.

" _This is an absolute disaster!" One cook yelled despairingly, used their chef's hat to try to put out the flames._

" _I know this looks pretty bad," another chef began, a positive tone in her voice. "But you all are completely forgetting our secret dish of the day! The is no way that it could have possibly been ruined- we set it away in a fridge earlier, remember? All we have to do is-"_

A loud crash shifted Lucy's attention away from the screen, and she snapped her head to the side to see what happened, the headphones being yanked off her head at the sudden movement. Her chocolate eyes widened at the scene that confronted her, and her mouth dropped open with surprise.

Gray was sprawled across the treadmill three down from hers, a pained groan sounding from his parted lips. The treadmill itself was askew, and Lucy could only guess that Gray was the cause for that, probably having crash landed on it. Lucy didn't know how precisely he managed to do that, but that wasn't her concern as she slammed the pause button on her treadmill, jumping off before it fully halted. She rushed to him, her long hair fluttering out behind her before she dropped to her knees next to him.

"Gray!" She fretted. "Are you okay?" Her hands hovered over him, not sure if touching him would make him hurt more or not. Gray groaned again, his eyes slowly opening, blinking and focusing on her. He lifted himself up into a sitting position gradually, rolling his shoulders, wincing in pain at the obvious soreness in his back from his collision with the treadmill.

"I'm alright, Lucy," He reassured her, but she was not convinced, frowning at him slightly. His eyes focused on something above her, and he glared at it. "But you did _not_ have to hit me that hard, Natsu," he huffed.

A sheepish chuckled came from directly behind her, and Lucy jumped a bit at the sudden presence. She turned to look at the person Gray addressed, her eyes finding a gray pair of sweatpants. Her gaze traveled up, over a sweat-covered torso until it rested on the wincing face of Gray's sparring partner. Lucy was surprised- she didn't see him coming, nor did she sense him, which was strange, because now that she realized that he was there, she could feel his raw, physical presence dominating the air.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, scratching the back of his neck. "I got a little carried away," he admitted.

Lucy's eyes widened at his words. "Wait," she began slowly, her brow furrowing. "You mean that you hit Gray hard enough that he landed _all the way over here?_ " She questioned, glancing between him and the punching bag area, which lay well over thirty feet away.

The man, Natsu, turned his green gaze onto her. "Um," he started uncertainly, shrinking slightly under her disbelieving stare. "...Yes?"

Lucy's mouth dropped open a bit at his hesitant confirmation, her eyes squinting up at him incredulously. "Holy crap," she mumbled, peering up at him for a closer inspection. "How is that even possible?"

"That's Natsu for you," Gray grumbled, massaging his shoulder, a grimace on his face. "Always doing the impossible. But even I'm surprised- I swear you weren't this strong last week."

Natsu laughed in embarrassment, his cheeks pinkening slightly at their inadvertent praise. "I, uh, I… sorry," he floundered. He dropped his hand from his neck and held it out to Gray. Lucy stood and moved out of his way, studying the stranger contemplatively. The inky haired man clasped his forearm, and Natsu pulled him up, steadying him when the excess force sent him stumbling forwards.

"Alright, I think that's enough for today," Gray announced, regaining his balance. "I probably need to go and ice this shoulder, and we both need to take a shower."

Natsu smiled, a small huff of a laugh escaping his lips. "Agreed," he affirmed, but added an after thought; "You stink."

Gray's mouth fell open in mock offence. "You don't smell any better," he countered, crinkling his nose. They were both covered in a glistening sheen of sweat and they did, indeed, smell.

Natsu rolled his eyes, grinning, his lips pulling the twin piercings on his lower right lip. "Whatever, man," he replied. "See you later." Gray nodded, and they grasped hands and pulled each other into a hug. Natsu looked at her and smiled, tipping his chin up at her in farewell. He turned and left, picking up his sneakers as he jogged around people and machines, not bothering to put them on as he pushed the glass door open and stepped outside.

Gray turned away, shaking his head. "That man, I swear," he muttered, a fond smile on his lips.

Lucy looked at him curiously. "I take it that you guys are close?" She asked, figuring that they must be, considering their interactions.

"Hmm?" Gray asked, focusing on her. "Oh, yeah. I've known the idiot since we were kids."

Lucy smiled at his choice of words, hearing the affection that warmed his voice. "I thought as much," she told him, then glanced at the clock, noting the time. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" She asked, watching has expression go from confusion to surprise and panic as he looked at the clock.

"Damnit!" He yelped, his back straightening immediately and clapping a hand to his forehead. "I have to go meet Juvia!" He rushed to where his shoes lay, scooping them up and running to the large door. "Thank's for reminding me, Lucy! See you later!" He called, jogging backwards and raising his hand in goodbye. Lucy smiled- Juvia, her teammate, had informed her excitedly of her date with Gray, and Lucy wasn't about to let Gray's disorganization tamper with her friend's happiness. She waved back and Gray turned around, tipping his chin at Mira before dashing out the door.

Lucy turned back to her treadmill, shaking her head slightly at his antics. She pulled the headphones up from where they dangled from the wire and placed them back in the cup holder, deciding that she was done with exercising for the day. She closed her progress on the machine and shut it off, picking up her water bottle and starting to make her way to the door. Droy glanced at her as she passed. "You leaving?" He huffed out between pants.

Lucy nodded. "I think I've done enough for today," she told him. He nodded, wheezing a goodbye. She returned it, and continued her walk, greeting various people on her way out.

As she passed Mira, she called out a goodbye. "I'm heading out," she informed her, pausing with her hand on the handle.

Mira smiled at her. "Alright, Lucy," she responded. "I'll call you about coming to see the girls, okay?" Lucy nodded her confirmation and pushed the door open, stepping out and beginning her walk home.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Author's Note: Here's part two, and I can proudly say that it is quite long- as in fourteen pages in size twelve font. Impressive, I know ;) I spent a good four hours on this, and I think it came out nicely. Check out this chapter on my Tumblr if you want to know what Lucy's, Mira's, and Natsu's outfits look like! Anyways, please leave a review, and enjoy~_**

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Lucy wove around the people milled about, ducking under arms and squeezing through the small gaps between them. Lucy huffed as she worked her way through the throng of people, mumbling apologies that fell on ignoring ears. She slipped through, her cup of coffee held close to her chest to avoid any accidents, her other hand grasping the strap of her cross-body bag. She nearly made it through when a person stepped back suddenly into her, bumping her shoulder and jostling her arm. Lucy's breath caught in her throat as the contents of her cup sloshed around- even with the cover on, the mouth opening was exposed. She pulled the cup away from her body just as a the brown liquid spilled out in a small arc, splashing harmlessly on the ground and missing her pale pink shirt by inches, landing just shy of her toes.

The person, a middle aged woman, merely glanced back at her, not caring of the disaster she nearly caused, before turning back to her conversation and not even bothering to get out of Lucy's way. Lucy clenched her jaw and pressed her lips together, drawing in a deep breath before carefully stepping over the puddle and somehow maneuvering around the mannerless woman.

Finally, after taking several elbows to the side and dealing with more impertinent people, Lucy broke through to crowd, just as she was about to give up on being polite and start pushing her way forward. She squeezed through a particularly small space and she nearly tripped once she was was out. She stumbled a bit but caught herself and righted, watching her coffee warily. When it showed no sign of dousing her, she began walking again. Lucy pushed her hair out of her eyes and ran her hand through it, breathing out, calming herself as she scanned the area with chocolate eyes.

A stage filled up the back half of the auditorium, the maroon curtains drawn together in a seemingly unbroken waterfall of thick, tumbling clothe. The rest of the room was filled with rows upon rows of fixed chairs that slowly rose higher and higher, slanting down to the stage. Enormous spotlights hung from the ceiling, angled to the stage, and various wires ran along the bottom of the stage and disappeared behind to curtains. No one was manning the equipment today, however- today was merely a practice day for Mirajane's ballet class.

Mira, true to her word, had arranged a day for family members and friends of the students to come and watch them practice their routines and daily class activities. She had booked the auditorium for the event, as the usual studio was far too small to accommodate all the people. She had been in a flurry of excitement when Lucy had called her two days before, spouting off details and asking her opinion on a number of things.

Lucy finally found her standing in front of the stage, dressed in black workout leggings and a loose, cropped shirt, her pure white hair tumbling around her waist and catching the light as she moved. She was talking to a young girl whom Lucy assumed to one of her students, before hugging her and sending her backstage. She straightened out, placing her hand on her hips and watching the room of people. Lucy raised her hand and waved, drawing Mira's clear blue eyes to her. Mira's expression lit up when she saw her, and a beautiful smile broke out across her face. She waved back, motioning her to come over, and Lucy obliged, hurrying as fast as she could without spilling her coffee. Once she reached her, Lucy placed her cup on the stage and was immediately pulled into a hug, smiling brightly. Mira held her tightly, then pulled back a bit, her hands resting on her upper arms and Lucy grasping her elbows. "Lucy! I'm so happy you came!" Mira squealed, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Lucy couldn't help but smile wider. "Of course I came!" She exclaimed, surprised that Mira could even begin to doubt her. "I promised, so here I am." She glanced around at the rest of the people. "And so are quite a lot of others. I'm surprised so many people showed up, to be honest. I wasn't expecting a lot of people to come to a practice."

Mira nodded understandingly. "I was a bit surprised too, but I can't say I'm upset about it! The turnout really blew my expectations, but now I'm even more motivated to hold another watch day!" She giggled happily, and Lucy smiled at her affectionately.

"Well, I'll definitely come to any event you hold, you know that," she told her. Mira smiled at her warmly and squeezed her arms gently.

"I'll have to take you up on that," she declared, winking at her playfully. Lucy giggled, and hugged her again before pulling away completely.

"Well, I should probably find a seat before all the good ones are taken," she sighed, picking up her coffee and readjusting the strap of her leather bag.

Mira nodded. "I actually saved a couple seats in the first row for close friends; my purse and stuff are on a chair next to Laxus, and there is a free chair next to it that I saved especially for you" she informed her, tilting her chin to the nearly full first row.

"Thanks, Mira," Lucy told her gratefully, relieved to know that she didn't have to go through to hassle of finding a seat.

Mira smiled at her. "Of course, Lucy. I'll join you once in awhile throughout the class- I still have to teach it, after all."

Lucy smiled and thanked her again, turning away to look at the seating. She quickly found Laxus, the bulky man easily standing out amongst the rest. She hurried over to him, smiling at him tiredly, her morning cheerfulness mostly spent in her exchange with Mira. "Hey, Laxus," she greeted him half-heartedly, placing her cup in the cup holder of the open chair two to his left and dropping into the seat, sinking into the worn cushions with a tired sigh.

He didn't bother greeting her back, instead choosing to raise one blond eyebrow at her obvious exhaustion. "What's up with you?" He asked peering down at her with navy eyes. "It's one in the afternoon; you shouldn't be this tired."

Lucy sighed again. "I was up until two last night," she told him wearily. "And I as much as I love Mira, she is depriving me of my sleep."

Laxus squinted at her. "Well, you should have gone to bed earlier," he grunted.

Lucy frowned at him. "It's not that simple," she retorted, slightly aggravated with his bluntness.

"Uh, yeah, it is, Blondie," He countered, crossing his thick arms across his broad chest.

Lucy's eye twitched at the nick name- Laxus knew very well that she didn't like it, and took it upon himself to call her it at every chance he got. He's annoying like that. Honestly, Lucy didn't know how someone like Laxus even ended up in such a strong relationship with Mira, his polar opposite. But she loves him fiercely and is clearly happy with him, so Lucy tries not to start an argument with him whenever he was around. She succeeds most of the time, except when he ruffles her hair. That always sets her off.

"Whatever, Laxus," she muttered, not wanting to deal with his gruffness on top of her tiredness. She knew that he is doing it just to annoy her, and she really didn't feel like bickering with him. She picked her cup up and took a sip, willing the caffeine to work its magic, and soon.

Lucy put down the cup and looked around, trying to find anyone she recognizes. Besides a smattering of Fairy Tail members, Lucy really doesn't recognize anybody. There are plenty of older men and women, and Lucy figures that they must be family members of the ballet students. Lucy scanned the small crowd in boredom, resting her chin on her palm and crossing one leg over the other, the fingers of her other hand playing with the threads of her ripped skinny jeans and dipping under them, tracing random shapes on her smooth skin.

Her eyes flickered to the large clock that was hung on the wall, and she is glad to see that the class is about to start soon. Many of the people were making their way to their seats, a sure sign that all the action was soon to begin.

As tired as Lucy was, she was quite eager to see the students Mira was always telling her about. She's quite proud of them- the minute she gets to talk about her class, Mira never stops. It's endearing, really, and all her talk had built up Lucy's expectations. Mira says that her whole class was exceptional for their ages, but that one student in particular was a prodigy. Wendy Marvell, her name was, if Lucy remembered correctly. Mira's mentioned her on several occasions, and Lucy is excited to finally see her perform. She's yet to even see a picture of the young girl, but she had already become Lucy's favorite of Mira's students.

With yet another sigh, Lucy tilted her head away from the dispersing crowd and looked back at the stage. It was fairly large, spanning the entire width of the room and taking up a large chunk of it. It was made of rather nice quality wood; well, it didn't look badly aged like most school auditoriums, at least. It didn't have that cheap, worn lacquer coating, either- it wasn't reflecting the light of the room dully. It shone nicely, with a crisp, clean look.

Lucy shook her head, closing her eyes and letting out a breathy chuckle. She really must be exhausted if she was comparing the lacquer of stages, of all things. She laughed quietly again in despair, her mind completely lost without proper sleep. As much as she hated to admit it, Laxus was right- she shouldn't have stayed up quite that late. But she really couldn't berate herself, either; she had been up practicing her dance routine again and again, perfecting it for the competition that loomed in the near future.

Immediately, Lucy frowned, biting her bottom lip worriedly and staring off into space as thoughts about the competition filled her thoughts. She and her teammates held practice four times a week, and from what some of the members of Fairy Hill's dance group told them, they had their routine down near perfectly. But still, Lucy couldn't help but be nervous. Though she and her team had always performed exceptionally and she was certainly no stranger to competitions, she always got nervous whenever she thought about them. It wasn't their skill and performance that she was worried about, or being watched or even judged per se, but it was rather the idea of the competitions themselves. Each individual part of the competitions didn't bother, but putting them all together was a daunting prospect. The more she thought about it, the more her apprehension grew.

A movement right next to her jolted her out of her thoughts, causing her to strighten, and Lucy's eyes focused on the person that just plopped down into the seat right next to her. The first thing she sees are muscular, tanned arms resting the armrests of the seat and a light gray, sleeveless, hooded shirt stretched across broad shoulders and clinging to a muscular torso, all the buttons that ran down the chest opened to reveal a triangle of toned chest. Lucy blinks and trails her gaze upwards, over a collarbone and up the length of a tan throat and finally focusing on the face of the newcomer. A silver cuff and a ruby red stud in the bottom of the ear closest to her caught her attention, and she could see a silver ring in his bottom lip as she talked with the person on his other side. The next that thing that draws her attention was his hair. It was cherry pink- a _familiar_ pink. A pink that belonged to Gray's friend from the gym.

Lucy's eyes widened as she recognizes the man, her eyebrows raised in surprise. She didn't think that she would see him again, not so soon, and not here of all places. She tilts to see his face better to make sure it really is him, her blonde hair tumbling over her shoulder and falling in a curtain behind her face as she leans forwards. She catches the attention of the man, Natsu's, friend, and he stops talking and stares at her in surprise. "Lucy?" He asked, and her eyes snap to his face. She recognizes him instantly.

"Gray?" She exclaimed, not at all expecting to see him here. Well, she guesses that he is the reason that Natsu was there in the first place, once she thinks about it. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Uh, watching Mira's students," he replied, squinting at her like it was a given. It was, but that's not the point. She was still shocked to see them there; she really didn't think them to be interested in a preview of a middle school ballet class.

"Well yeah, but why?" She questioned, frowning. "What interest do you have in ballet?"

Gray gave her a look. "When Mira invites you somewhere, you don't decline. _Especially_ when it's about something she's passionate about." He told her seriously, something like fear in his expression.

Lucy had to give him that. Mira, for all her bubbliness, could be a complete _demon_ when she was upset. It was quite hilarious to see the grown men of Fairy Tail melt into a puddle of fear when Mira got mad at them. Lucy has never been on the receiving end of Mira's anger, something she is grateful for every day. She may be one of her closest friends, but that doesn't mean Lucy can't be utterly terrified of her sometimes.

Lucy nodded in acceptance of his answer, and turned to Natsu. "Gray drag you along with him?" She asked, knowing that Gray probably brought him along so he didn't have to suffer alone.

Natsu laughed at her words. "No, I came willingly, don't worry," he reassured her, mirth twinkling in his green eyes as he grinned down at her, the silver in his lip pulling at the movement. Lucy giggled at his mock-seriousness, and she felt a small blush dust her cheeks. She was feeling a lot more awake and lively than she was earlier; the coffee must finally be kicking in.

"Well, I've heard that these girls are pretty impressive, so it'll be a show worth watching," she told him, thinking back to all the gushing Mira did.

The pink-haired man nodded. "Yeah, I've heard the same," he agreed. "But I guess we'll have to see for ourselves." As if on cue, Mira turned on a microphone, tapping it so check the sound, and the chattering quieted down at the noise, eager to see the class perform.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen!" Mira began in a cheery voice, a beam stretched across her pink lips. "Thank you for coming today to watch a preview of what one of our ballet classes is like! All my students are exceptionally talented, and they will be demonstrating several of the moves and routines that we do in class, as well as some special moves that they are still learning. So please, sit back and enjoy the show!"

Lucy smiled at Mira's theatrics fondly, clapping along as applause picked up through the crowd. She watched as Mira called her students to come out from behind the curtain, and come out they did, each girl twirling or leaping or skipping their way across the stage to line up. They were all dressed in similar fashion, clad in pale tights and leotards of pink or black, the little ballet skirts falling out their hips in soft waves. All had their hair tied back somehow, whether in a bun or ponytail, so sporting cute twin pigtails. Smiled decorated their youthful faces, their eyes bright and twinkling with excitement. Lucy couldn't help but smile at their innocent happiness.

Mira called out for opening stretches, and Lucy's eyes widened in amazement at the sheer flexibility of the girls. Sure, there were women in her dance group that were pretty flexible, but these girls bent and stretching in ways that would have Lucy crying out in pain if she were to attempt them. They hadn't even begun performing, and Lucy was already impressed.

As Mira directed the class, Lucy grew more and more astounded. How anyone could walk around constantly on their toes like that was beyond her, and these girls acted like it was nothing, keeping their balance with impeccable skill. Once they started going into more advanced moves, Lucy's jaw practically dropped. The girls leaped into the air gracefully, landing on their toes with dainty poise. They twisting and turned in the air as if the law of gravity meant nothing to them, performing incredible stunts that had Lucy staring in awe.

All of Mira's students were truly amazing, that much was obvious, but Lucy quickly singled out one little girl that outshone them all. She moved with the elegance of a queen, holding herself confidently as she moved through various stunts and routines. She leapt, twirling and turning and twisting in the air for an abnormal amount of time, as if the winds themselves held her aloft, the zephyrs aiding her in her dance. Her long, dark blue hair twisted around her as she whirled about like thick ribbons, the blue strands flying through the air like they had a life of their own.

Lucy watched her, wide eyed, as the young girl whom she could only assume was the famed Wendy Marvell performed solo stunts, pulling off moves that were far more advanced than those of her peers'. She shined in the spotlight as she danced, stealing the show and the heart of the onlookers with her beautiful smile and sparkling brown eyes.

Lucy clapped with gusto as the young girl spun about, her eyes riveted on her. Beside her, Natsu applauded heartily, shouting praise and encouragement to the dancer. Even Laxus was grudgingly clapping, albeit softly, but Lucy could tell that he was impressed by the little ballerina.

Lucy started when she felt someone whisper in her ear, too wrapped up in the girl's dancing to notice Mira slipping into her seat. The white haired woman giggled slightly at Lucy's surprised expression, her eyes twinkling happily. "Isn't she wonderful?" She asked, but it was more of a statement. "My marvelous little Wendy Marvell. My little star. Oh, how I adore her," she praised dreamily, looking at the young girl affectionately.

Lucy smiled. "She truly is amazing," she agreed, nodding as she continued watching the girl.

"You'll have to meet her after the class," Mira declared, turning back to look at her. "You'll love her- the two of you have very similar personalities."

"I can't wait," Lucy told her sincerely.

Mira nodded at her words in satisfaction. "Well, I've got to go. See you in a bit, Lucy!" She called out as she started towards the stage.

All too soon, the class was over. After a thunderous applause and bowing from Mira and her girls, they all hopped off the stage, parents and family swarming around their respective student. Lucy stood and wormed her way to Mira with Laxus in tow, eager to finally meet the young star. When they reached her, Mira was standing with Wendy, talking animatedly with the girl. She caught sight of the blonds and broke off, waving them over.

"Wendy, this is Lucy, one of my best friends," she introduced, putting her hand on Lucy's shoulder. "And you already know Laxus. Lucy, this is my star student, Wendy Marvell." Her blue eyes shined with pride and affection as she gestured to the girl.

Wendy smiled at her, clasping her hands behind her back. "Hello, Miss Lucy," she greeted her shyly, her ducking slightly, and Lucy's heart nearly melted at the pure innocence and sweetness radiating of the young girl.

"Hello, Wendy," she replied, smiling down at her. "I've heard some great things about you, and today, you proved each and every one of them correct," she told her. "You really are quite talented."

Wendy blushed at the praise. "Th-thank you!" She exclaimed, beaming. "You are very kind!"

Lucy smiled back at her fondly, noticing the change in Wendy from earlier. When she was on stage, the girl was confident and proud. Off it, she seemed so shy and quiet. It only added to her adorableness, and Lucy had to resist the urge to wrap her up in a hug and cuddle her. "No need to thank me," she corrected her gently. "You deserve it."

Wendy was about to reply when she caught sight of something behind her caught her attention, and, if possible, she brightened even more. "Natsu!" She cried, and Lucy turned to see him walk up to them, a grin on his lips. Wendy ran up to him, throwing her arms around him in a fierce hug. "You came!"

Natsu wrapped his arms around her, practically engulfing her. "Of course I did, Wendy!" He exclaimed, hugging her close.

Wendy pulled back enough to look up at him. "But I thought that you were too busy to make it," she stated, but the confusion in her voice made it sound like a question.

Natsu grinned down at her. "I'm never too busy for my little sister," he declared, grinning down at her affectionately.

Lucy's eyes widened at the revelation. She had no idea that the two were siblings! _While they didn't look it, they certainly seemed it,_ she thought as she watched their loving exchange with a soft smile.

Mira clasped her hand together, drawing their attention to her. "I think the girls earned themselves an ice cream trip, don't you, Lucy?" She suggested.

"Definitely," she agreed, smiling. "They worked pretty hard today, after all."

Mira nodded, eyes twinkling. "Alright, it's settled then," she affirmed, raising her voice so everyone could hear here with the next statement. "Girls! We're going out for ice cream to celebrate today's success!" Her announcement was met with thunderous approval, and Mira beamed.

Everybody quickly filed out of the auditorium, thoughts of ice cream fueling them. Mira gave out directions to the chosen ice cream store, and soon they were all off, driving to celebrate together.

* * *

"So, siblings, huh?" Lucy asked as they sat at one of the outdoor tables under a colourful umbrella, watching as the young ballerinas enjoyed their reward for their hard work.

Natsu glanced at her. "Yeah," he replied, smiling softly. "I know we don't look like it, though- I take after my dad, and Wendy looks like our mom, Grandeeney."

Lucy nodded; that explained their completely different appearances. "You guys sure do act like siblings," she commented. "Wendy adores you, I can tell." She took a bite of her ice cream, the vanilla flavour sweet on her tongue.

Natsu smiled as he looked towards his younger sister tenderly. "Just as much as I adore her," he admitted. "She's the best sister a guy could have, to be honest." Lucy's eyes found the blue haired girl, and they watched as she laughed along with her classmates, her smile infectious. _Well, there is something they have in common,_ Lucy thought. _When they smile, it's hard not to smile back._ She had only interacted with Natsu for a grand total of half an hour, but she had quickly found it hard to resist smiling when he so much as quirked his lips.

"I wish I had a sibling," she sighed wistfully, gazing at Wendy fondly.

Natsu's dark eyes slid back to her. "Only child?" He asked, scooping up a spoonful of his chocolate crunch ice cream.

Lucy sighed again, stirring her melting ice cream with her spoon. "Yeah," she confirmed. "I always wanted a sister, though. I had a doll named Michelle was I was little- I pretended she was my younger sister." She smiled at the memories of the doll clad in a frilly pink dress and a bonnet over her blonde ringlets.

Natsu smiled at her. "That's cute," he told her, and Lucy blushed slightly at his words. "When I was a kid, I had this stuffed red dragon I named Igneel, after my dad. I'd pretend to go on adventures with him and my kitten, Happy. And when Wendy was old enough, I took her along, too."

"Awww," Lucy gushed. "That's adorable. You really are a great big brother." A new sense of affection for Natsu arose at his little story, and Lucy could picture a young Natsu and an even younger Wendy running around a play room, a toy dragon in his hands. It brought a smile to her lips.

Lucy might've been seeing things, but she was pretty sure there was pink on his cheeks.

They sat in quiet for a few moments, enjoying their ice creams as they gazed at the happy faces of Mira's students. "Wendy is such a talented ballerina," Lucy began, recalling the incredible spins and twists the girl performed in air. "Her type of dancing is so much more elegant than mine."

Natsu looked at her in surprise. "You dance?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Lucy nodded. "Yup. I do hip hop," she told him, scraping her little cup with her spoon to get the last melted bits of ice cream. "It seems so rushed and raging compared to ballet. Ballet is all twirls and grace, while hip hop is just fast pace body jerking half the time." She placed her spoon in her mouth and swallowed down the liquified ice cream, her brows furrowed a bit as she compared the beauty of ballet to the craziness of hip hop. She tapped the foot of the leg crossed above the other in the air, turning her spoon upside down in her mouth and sucking on it absently.

Natsu tilted his head slightly as he speculated her words. "Well, I think hip hop has it's own form of beauty," he started, setting down his bowl and crossing his arms and leaning forward on them. Lucy slid her chocolate gaze to him, a bit surprised at his words. "While it's true that hip hop doesn't have the dignity of ballet, it has a lot more passion, in my opinion. You get to move without the rigid rules of ballet, and you can express your emotions unrestricted. It's unrefined, sure, but it's more because it's wild and free, rather than it's crazy and disorganized. Hip hop is so interesting to watch, because you see new moves every time, whereas in ballet there is set moves that you can use. You can mix and match all you want in ballet, but it's the same moves again and again. Hip hop is so fun and upbeat, full of life and thrumming with energy." His eyes were bright as he talked, a deep appreciation for hip hop shining in them. He was so sincere and heartfelt in his words, the passion behind them evident. "Plus, it has better music." His eyes focused on her's, and a brilliant smile was on his lips.

Lucy blinked, taken aback by his little speech. "Well," she stated slowly. "I wasn't expecting that."

Instantly, Natsu blushed and laughed embarrassedly, averting his gaze as he picked up his ice cream to busy his hands. "Sorry," he mumbled, dipping his chin a bit. "I tend to get carried away."

His words were so similar to what he first said to her, but in an entirely different context, that Lucy burst out laughing. "No, no, don't be sorry!" She admonished, amusement clear in her voice, and Natsu's eyes snapped up to meet her's. "At least this time you didn't throw somebody across a room," she added, giggling. Natsu flushed as he remembered their first encounter, wincing and ducking his head further as he let out a few embarrassed chuckles. "But seriously, don't be sorry," she told him after she calmed down. "I kinda needed that, so thanks." Natsu raised his eyes to her face tentatively, his cheeks still pink but his brows furrowed in confusion.

"How come?" He asked, and Lucy felt her smile dim as she recalled what caused her to say those words.

"I have a hip hop competition coming up, and I'm a bit nervous," she confessed. "Actually, scratch that. I'm totally nervous," she sighed, lowering her eyes to the table as her brow furrowed with thoughts of the upcoming event.

"Have you competed before?" Natsu asked, drawing her eyes up to him. He was watching her with something like empathy in his green gaze, like he knew exactly what she was feeling.

Lucy bit her lip, her white teeth sinking into the plump flesh, and let her gaze drop again, a lock of her hair slipping from behind her shoulder to fall into her face, obscuring her left eye. "I have," she admitted.

"And did you do good in them?" He questioned, his voice light, like he already knew the answer.

"Well, yes, we came in first in all but one," she conceded, her frown deepening. "But-"

The words died on her tongue as warm fingers slid under her chin, lifting it gently so she could meet a pair of deep, forest green eyes. Her breath caught at the gentleness in those dark depths, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Then you have nothing to worry about," Natsu told her simply, smiling down at her softly, pulling at the two studs in his lower lip. Lucy felt her cheeks colour at the sincerity of his words, the honest tone of his voice.

She smiled back, a soft, small curve of her lips. "Yeah," she agreed. "Maybe I don't."

Natsu nodded in satisfaction and pulled away, and for a moment, Lucy missed the warmth of his touch. "You know, I've been in plenty of competitions myself," he told her after a moment of quiet thinking.

Lucy's eyes snapped up to meet his. "Really?" She asked, surprised.

Natsu's gaze slid back to lock with her's, grinning that smile-inducing grin. "Yup," he answered. "I've been doing competitive fighting since my second year of high school."

Lucy's eyes widened at this new piece of information. "That's impressive," she admitted, resting her chin on her palm and tucking her other arm under her chest as che leaned towards him slightly. "So that means that you've been fighting other people in official matches since you were sixteen?" Her chocolate eyes shone in appreciation for his skill and dedication.

Natsu nodded, crossing his arms and resting them on the table. "Yeah," he confirmed. "I've been a member of Magnolia's Fight Club since then. I would've joined sooner, but sixteen was the age requirement."

Lucy nodded in fascination. "So what exactly do you do in fight clubs, anyways? All I've ever heard of them were that they were illegal groups that pitted people against each other, regardless of skill levels. But that can't be true, can it?"

Natsu's eyes widened. "Of course not!" He exclaimed, his pink brows furrowing. "The Club is completely legal, don't worry. And it's all voluntary- if you don't want to fight a match, you don't have to. The whole club is essentially a way for people who love to fight free lance to find suitable sparring partners. It's year long, and it's open every Saturday night, so people can practice and fight with others. Every year there is a huge fighting competition for the whole country, so for a month or so beforehand, there are serious competitions held at the Club, so the members are narrowed down to the best four. We call them the S-Class Trials, but no one really knows why- everyone jokes that they mean the 'Super-Class', because if your get to the top, you are considered super strong." A huff of a laugh left his curved lips, a soft grin gracing his face. "In fact, the Trials are coming up really soon. Like, in a week, soon."

Lucy tilted her head as she processed this new wave of information. "Huh," she huffed contemplatively. "That's nothing like I thought it would be." She tapped her lip absently as she thought, sifting through all that he thought. "So these S-Class Trials are pretty hard, then, huh?" She asked, focusing on him.

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, but they are relatively simple. It's a bracket style kind of set up, along with individual testing. The people who haven't accomplished much or won the least amount of weekly fights are placed at the bottom, and the most accomplished are put at the top. So it's hardest on the newbies- majority of them only make it past one or two tiers before losing."

Lucy hummed, her finger never missing a beat as it tapped away, the nail poking her lip rhythmically. "So what tier are you?" She asked, curious as to what his standing is in comparison to the other members.

Natsu smirked at her question, his teeth gleaming in the sunlight. "Eighteen out of twenty," he told her proudly, his eyes glittering. He didn't seem egotistical, though; he sounded more proud of himself, not necessarily about the fact that he was above so many people.

Lucy's eyes widened, her eyebrows raising. "Seriously?" She asked, impressed. She knew he was strong, but she's also seen Laxus, so she knew that there were people stronger than him. Still, if he managed to rank position eighteen, then he must be much stronger than his fight with Gray showed. Her eyes flickered down; his muscular arms framed his toned chest, defined even through the fabric of his sweatshirt, and she marvelled once more the sheer strength that was evident in his relaxed body. "Actually, that's believable," she murmured under her breath.

"Hmm?" Natsu asked, leaning closer and cocking his head so he can hear her better. Lucy snapped her gaze up to him, and she saw the sly, knowing smirk that curved his lips. She flushed in embarrassment and averted her eyes, cursing her pink cheeks. "N-nothing," she mumbled, dropping her hand and ducking her chin, letting her hair fall in her face. She heard Natsu chuckle, a deep rumble from his chest, her her cheeks pinkened further.

"Anyways," Natsu started, after he got his laughter under control. "The Trials are starting in a week, on Saturday. After that, the classes are doubling, so there will be meets twice a week, to train and prepare ourselves for the big competition. My match is in three weeks, though, on a Saturday."

Some of his words caught her attention. "Wait, Saturday?" She asked, frowning slightly as she recalled the date of her competition. "My dance competition in on that Saturday!" She exclaimed, her embarrassment forgotten as she looked at him again.

Natsu raised his eyebrows. "Really?" He asked, and Lucy nodded. "Huh. What time?"

Lucy thought back to the flyers that were hanging up at the studio, screaming information about the competitions in large, blocky letters. "Three, I think," she told him.

Natsu smiled. "My match is at six. So, that leaves plenty of time for me to go see your performance before I have to go to the Club."

Lucy blinked, then her eyes widened. "Wait," she squeaked, the colour that had just left her face coming back to fill her cheeks with pink. "'Come to see me perform?' You want to watch me dance?"

Natsu gave her a lopsided grin. "Of course, weirdo," he told her, green eyes bright. "You're my friend, and besides, you've made me curious about your skills."

Lucy blushed further. "O-okay," she replied hesitantly, a bit taken aback by her new title as his friend, before a sweet smile spread over her lips. "And then after, I'll come to see you fight."

Natsu's grin widened. "Sounds good," he told her, and Lucy felt her heart skip a beat, much to her embarrassment.

She saved from responding by Mira's voice calling out to them. The pair looked towards the white-haired instructor, seeing her waving to them. "Natsu, Lucy!" She called. "We're all heading home now, just so you know."

Lucy nodded. "Alright, Mira!" She replied, placing her hand on the table and pushing herself up. "We're coming!" Natsu stood as well and they scooped up their cups and spoons. As they made their way to the trash, Natsu slurped down the melted remains of his ice cream, and then they tossed their cups in the open trash bin. The pair hurried to the parking lot, maneuvering around the parents and students that were too making their way to their cars.

Lucy came to a stop in front of her silver car, and Natsu halted with her, waiting as she opened her bag and searched for her phone. "Here," she told him, handing him her phone once she found it and opened it. "Add your contact information." Natsu obliged, taking the rose-coloured device from her hand and typing in his info.

He handed it back after a moment and Lucy glanced down at the screen, reading the name printed across the new contact. _Natsu Dragneel,_ it read, listing his phone number underneath. She smiled and switched off her phone, tucking it back into her bag.

Natsu pulled his own phone out from the back pocket of his dark jeans and opened it, handing it to her so she too could add her own contact. Lucy smiled softly when she saw the image that was set as the background- it was a picture of him and Wendy hugging with their cheeks pressed together, wide smiles of their lips and their eyes twinkling. She added her info, her fingers hovering over the keyboard for a moment in contemplation before she added a little pink heart after her name, and clicked it off, handing it back to him. "Cute background," she told him, smiling.

The faintest hint of pink dusted his cheeks as he took his phone. "Thanks," he replied, tucking the silver device in his pocket. "So, I'll see you on Saturday?" He asked.  
Lucy nodded. "Yup," she confirmed. "See you then, Dragneel," she told him jokingly, giving him a playful smile, mischief and amusement twinkling in her dark eyes.

Natsu looked surprised for a millisecond before a grin stole over his face. "See ya, Heartfilia," he replied, reaching up and flicking her nose playfully. Lucy blinked in surprise, but before she could react, Natsu's arms were around her, pulling her into his chest. Lucy froze, her eyes wide and staring ahead at the triangle of smooth skin that her nose was pressed against. Then she relaxed, melting into him, her eyes closing, curling her arms around his back and hugging him back, smiling. He pulled back after a moment, and Lucy opened her eyes to see him grinning down at her. "Bye, Luce!" He called over his shoulder as he jogged to his car, waving to her.

Lucy giggled. "Bye, Natsu!" She called back, giving him a little wave, a happy smile on her lips. With a sigh, she turned back to her car, fishing her keys out of her bag and unlocking it. She pulled the door open and climbed inside, closing the door behind her and settling into her seat, buckling her seatbelt. She started up her car and backed out of her spot, carefully watching out for the people that still milled about. Once she was out of the parking lot, she stopped at a red light, resting her elbow on the little edge next to her window and propping her head on her fist as she waited. Another car rolled up next her, and the loud music that vibrated from inside made her look over. It was a dark red car, but the thing that stood out most were the black flames that licked the base of the car, spreading up the hood and the sides of the car. Lucy raised her eyes, and saw Natsu grinning back at her, one hand on the steering wheel and the other waving at her. Lucy lifted her head and stared back at him in shock for a moment, before a fond smile made its way to her lips and she giggled, shaking her head exasperatedly. _Of course_ Natsu had a car like that. He was so extra and crazy, she didn't know why she was surprised in the first place. She waved back at him, and Natsu made various faces at the red light, making her giggles turn into laughter. Once the light turned green, the two drove again, separating at the next intersection.

Lucy hummed to herself the entire car ride, the smile never leaving her lips, thoughts of Natsu filling her mind. The pink haired man was peculiar- he had weaseled his way into her heart in such a short time, becoming her friend faster than she could have ever thought imaginable. Lucy's finding that she is perfectly okay with that.


End file.
